BOONE, N.C. — Less than 10 seconds after the home dual against Duke began, Caleb Smith brought fans in Varsity Gym to their feet with a physical takedown.
Fans of the 19th-ranked Mountaineers had reason to cheer all night, as App State won the first nine matches in a 42-3 victory against Duke on Tuesday night. The crowd of 968 witnessed eight of those wins produce bonus points in a one-sided affair that gave the Mountaineers their 10th victory over a Power Five program since JohnMark Bentley became head coach.
After climbing to its highest-ever ranking in the NWCA Coaches Poll earlier in the day — App State is as high as No.